Mental health as a social problem (posted 9/8/06)

The other day I went to a seminar for work and one of the speakers mentioned that in recent news, some colleges are currently expelling students for suicide attempts. I further read an article in the paper yesterday that provided me with more information to be even more disgusted. Apparently, a 19 yr old student overdosed on pills, but called 911 before it was too late. When she returned to her dorm after the attempt, the lock had been changed and she had been asked to leave for violating her housing contract! WTF? Here are some excerpts worth noting:

"Policies barring potentially suicidal students from dorms have popped up across the country in recent years as colleges have struggled to deal with an estimated 1,000 suicides a year. But some of those rules have come under legal attack."
"College officials say such expulsions are not punitive; At George Washington University in D.C., spokeswoman Tracy Schario said the idea is to give suicidal students a break from the stresses of university life and encourage them to seek help."
"But some activists suspect such evictions are an attempt by colleges to avoid legal liability if someone commits suicide in the dorms."

This infuriated me, yet I wasn't altogether shocked. Why? As a mental health professional, I continue to observe the stigmas, judgment and backlash from society whenever we hear about individuals struggling with various mental health issues. Instead of being supportive and concerned about an individual's well-being and how that individual affects and is being affected by their social environment, society tends to contribute to the symptoms of the underlying problem.

In some cases, colleges are sending students home to get help. How do they know that the individual's family life isn't part of the problem? Society is consumed by a "one-size-fits-all" model. While this may work for a few select aspects of human affairs, mental health is not one of them. The graduate training I received in counseling psychology emphasizes a strong need to meet the person "where he/she is at." What may work for one person, may not work for another. Focusing on the uniqueness of the individual, especially in periods of distress (depression, suicide,etc), is extremely essential. A positive, strong support system is also crucial.
In many instances, it may be the family....then again, it may not. The key to suicide prevention is awareness of what is going on in the lives of our loved ones and being compassionate enough to intervene when he/she needs someone to be present in what seems at the time, endless anguish. I am lucky to say I haven't personally known anyone close to me who has committed suicide, however, I cannot even begin to list how many people I know that have grieved over such a devastating loss.

With the help of counseling programs on campus, as well as a supportive social environment (including the school), there may be hope for preventing the tragedy of suicides on college campuses.

As long as the current mode of thinking persists, however, mental health issues will remain a social problem.